Revised Montana wolf regs aim to limit Yellowstone-area kills

From Explore Big Sky in Montana:

The Montana Fish and Wildlife commission on Aug. 25 voted to reinstate a cap on the number of Yellowstone-area wolves that hunters and trappers can kill, abandoning an approach that allowed hunters and trappers to kill 21 wolves last season.

Most of the approximately 100 commenters speaking about wolf management at the Aug. 25 commission meeting expressed frustration with wolf hunting and trapping generally, or the prospect of hunting and trapping wolves that leave the northern border of Yellowstone National Park more specifically.

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Another wolf kill discovered in Lake County

From the Herald and News in Klamath Falls, Oregon:

The carcass of a 500-pound, four-month-old calf was found in a 2,000-acre private land pasture in the Sycan Marsh area of Lake County on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which investigated the death that same day, the calf was found earlier Wednesday by a livestock owner. An investigation indicated the carcass was missing organs and muscle tissues on its ribs, hindquarters and front quarters.

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Minnesota wolves consuming bear bait left by hunters, researchers say

From KMSP in Minnesota:

(FOX 9) – Wolves in northern Minnesota are known to take advantage of the bear bait left by bear hunters, making up a large portion of their diets this time of year.

That’s according to a Twitter thread from the Voyageurs Wolf Project, which studies the summer ecology of wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem in Minnesota.

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Truck, plane, backpack: Inside the extreme effort to save Mexican wolves

From The Washington Post:

ABOVE THE GILA NATIONAL FOREST, N.M. — In a private plane soaring 26,000 feet over pine-swathed mountains, three tawny Mexican wolf pups slept. Their weight was less than three pounds each, their 10-day-old eyes still screwed shut. Their worth, as some of the newest members of a critically endangered species, was immeasurable.

The pups were protected by a soft pet carrier and kept toasty — 78 degrees, an attached thermometer indicated — by hand warmers wrapped in a towel. They were flanked by a veterinarian and a zookeeper, chaperones for this leg of a precisely choreographed operation.

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Cry wolf? Debate over presence of wolves in Northeast United States

From the Associated Press:

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Are wolves hunting and howling in the Northeast woods again, more than a century after they were rooted out of the region?

Advocates who think so say a recent DNA analysis shows a strapping canine shot by a coyote hunter in upstate New York last winter was actually a wolf. They believe there are other wolves in New York and New England, saying they could be crossing the frozen St. Lawrence River while heading south from Canada. And they want the government to protect them.

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Isle Royale wolf population surges after nearly dying off

From phys.org:

Isle Royale National Park’s gray wolf population has reached 28, a dramatic comeback after the species nearly disappeared from the Lake Superior island chain, researchers said Wednesday.

Health problems from inbreeding caused a die-off that left only two wolves a few years ago, leading park officials to authorize an airlift of mainland replacements. Wolves play a crucial role in balancing the island ecosystem by preying on moose, which browse heavily on balsam fir and other plants.

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Dog faces can be incredibly cute — here’s how and why

From The Washington Post:

When its owner arrives home, a dog may seem to smile. When a dog wants to go for a walk, it may lift an eyebrow and look pathetic. These adorable expressions have helped create a “deep, long-standing bond between humans and dogs,” says Anne Burrows, a professor of physical therapy at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They also make dogs unique when compared with species such as wolves or cats.

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Lawsuit accuses Montana wildlife commission of illegal meeting

From the Helena Independent Record in Montana:

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has been accused by a wolf advocacy group of conducting an illegal meeting via email before the body considered controversial regulations on elk shoulder seasons and hunting and trapping wolves last year, according to an amended lawsuit.

In March, Wolves of the Rockies filed a lawsuit in Lewis and Clark County District Court seeking to compel Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to release public documents including emails. The group argued the agency was taking an unreasonable amount of time to produce records related to several requests and did not communicate adequately when asked for status updates.

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Greater Vancouver Zoo wolf enclosure was damaged to let wolves escape, RCMP say

From CBC.ca:

Police say the wolf enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo was damaged by someone who is suspected to have broken in and allowed the animals to escape. The facility remains closed for a second day.

There were nine adult grey wolves and six cubs at the zoo in Aldergrove, B.C., but it has not confirmed how many got loose or remain unaccounted for as conservation workers and zoo staff continue to search.

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See Endangered Red Wolf Pups Caught on Camera in Rare Footage

From CNET.com:

Red wolves are a rare sight. The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there are up to 21 in the wild, 10 of which are collared for tracking and monitoring. On Monday, USFWS shared a recent video of red wolves “out and about on an early evening scamper.”

The video shows an adult wolf running through a field, followed by a series of pups. The pups then wander back into the frame while frolicking through the grass.

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